Upadacitinib for adults with erosive mucosal lichen planus or lichen planopilaris
Official title: Upadacitinib in Adult Patients With Erosive Mucosal Lichen Planus and Lichen Planopilaris: a Prospective Multicenter Randomized Placebo-controlled Study (UPA_LP).
Run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice · NCT07492251 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial tests whether upadacitinib can help adults with erosive mucosal lichen planus or lPP by comparing it to placebo.
Quick facts
| Phase | Phase 2 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Ages | 18 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 56 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | upadacitinib |
| Locations | 5 sites (Nice, Alpes Maritimes and 4 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 1, 2026 |
| Main results expected | May 1, 2028 |
| Study ends | November 1, 2028 |
| Registry record updated | October 1, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07492251 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults aged 18 to under 65 with biopsy-confirmed mucosal LP or active LPP and moderate to severe disease (IGA ≥ 3) not adequately controlled by topical corticosteroids.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with mild disease, alternative etiologies, or those not meeting eligibility criteria may not benefit from this therapy.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This multicenter Phase 2 study randomizes adults with moderate to severe mucosal LP or active LPP to receive upadacitinib or placebo. Participants must have biopsy-confirmed disease and an inadequate response to topical corticosteroids, with safety screenings and pregnancy testing where applicable. The trial aims to determine if upadacitinib can reduce symptoms and improve quality of life by targeting inflammatory pathways. Outcomes include measures of disease activity and patient-reported impact on daily living. The study is conducted at multiple centers in France under a sponsor-led protocol.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could experience reduced symptoms and better quality of life with an oral therapy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies in related inflammatory conditions have shown benefits with JAK inhibitors, but this specific indication is comparatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
1. Written informed consent must be obtained before any assessment is performed
2. Female and male patients ≥ 18 years and \< 65 years old at Baseline Visit
3. Subjects must have biopsy-confirmed forms of mucosal lichen planus (MLP) or active lichen planopilaris (LPP) eligible for systemic therapy based on the following criteria:
* Rated IGA of ≥ 3 (moderate or severe) AND
* Inadequate response to topical corticosteroids of high - ultrahigh potency in the opinion of the investigator
4. A negative serum pregnancy test for all female subjects considered to be of childbearing potential at the Screening Visit and a negative urine pregnancy test at baseline prior to the first dose of study drug.
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Clinical history suspicious for lichenoid drug eruption
2. Clinical picture or history suspicious of paraneoplastic mucosal lichen planus
3. Mucosal lichen planus of the oral cavity or gastrointestinal involvement requiring the patient to use parenteral nutrition or feeding tube
4. Clinical picture of burnt-out cicatricial alopecia (alopecia of Brocq)
5. Patients diagnosed with frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) without active patches of LPP
6. History of clinically significant (per investigator's judgment) drug or alcohol abuse within the last 6 months prior to Baseline.
7. Meeting any of the following conditions at Baseline:
1. Three or more prior episodes of herpes zoster, or one or more episodes of disseminated herpes zoster;
2. One or more prior episodes of disseminated herpes simplex (including eczema herpeticum);
3. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, defined as confirmed positive anti-HIV antibody (HIV Ab) test or a positive HIV Ab/Ag test
4. Active tuberculosis (TB) or meet TB exclusionary parameters;
5. Active infection(s) requiring treatment with intravenous anti-infectives within 30 days, or oral/intramuscular anti-infectives within 14 days prior to the Baseline Visit;
6. Chronic recurring infection and/or active viral infection that, based on the investigator's clinical assessment, makes the subject an unsuitable candidate for the study;
7. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening values that meet the following criteria at the most recent testing prior to the first dose of study treatment:
8. HBV: hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag) positive (+) test or detectable HBV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) qualitative test for subjects who are hepatitis B core antibody (HBc Ab) positive (+);
9. HCV: detectable HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) in any subject with anti-HCV antibody (HCV Ab).
8. At Baseline any of the following medical diseases or disorders:
1. Recent (within past 6 months) cerebrovascular accident, myocardial infarction, coronary stenting, aorto-coronary bypass surgery, or venous thromboembolism;
2. History of an organ transplant which requires continued immunosuppression;
3. History of an allergic reaction or significant sensitivity to constituents of the study drug and/or other products in the same class;
4. History of gastrointestinal (GI) perforation (other than due to appendicitis or mechanical injury), diverticulitis, or significantly increased risk for GI perforation per investigator judgment;
5. Conditions that could interfere with drug absorption including but not limited to short bowel syndrome or gastric bypass surgery (including sleeve gastrectomy); subjects with a history of gastric banding/segmentation are not excluded;
6. History of malignancy except for successfully treated non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) or localized carcinoma in situ of the cervix;
9. Females of child-bearing potential who meet the following criteria for pregnancy testing:
1. Subjects with a positive serum pregnancy test at the Screening Visit or a positive urine pregnancy test at Baseline prior to the first dose of study treatment (local practices may require serum pregnancy testing at Baseline).
2. Subjects with a borderline serum pregnancy test at Screening must have absence of clinical suspicion of pregnancy or other pathological causes of borderline results and a serum pregnancy test ≥ 3 days later to document continued lack of a positive result (unless inclusion of subjects with a borderline pregnancy test may be prohibited by local requirements).
3. Subjects with a urine pregnancy test at Baseline that is borderline or ambiguous must have a serum pregnancy test performed. In such cases, the participant must be excluded from participation if the serum pregnancy result is positive.
10. Female subjects of childbearing potential who are not able and/or willing to practice at least 1 protocol-specified method of birth control that is highly effective from Study Day 1 through at least 30 days after the last dose of study drug (local practices may require an additional method of contraception). Female subjects of non-childbearing potential do not need to use birth control.
11. Female subjects who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or considering becoming pregnant or donating eggs during the study and for 30 days after the last dose of study drug.
12. Subjects who have been treated with any investigational drug of chemical or biologic nature within 30 days or five half-lives (whichever is longer) prior to the first dose of study drug or who are currently enrolled in another interventional clinical study.
13. Subjects with systemic use of known strong cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) inhibitors or strong CYP3A inducers 30 days prior to study treatment administration (refer to the Table in section 5. for examples of commonly used strong CYP3A inhibitors and inducers)
14. Subjects who have received any live vaccine with replicating potential within 30 days prior to the first dose of study drug, or have expected need of vaccination with any live vaccine with replicating potential during study participation including at least 30 days after the last dose of study drug. Live vaccines that are incapable of replicating are permitted.
15. Screening laboratory values that meet the following criteria at the most recent testing prior to the first dose of study drug:
1. Serum aspartate transaminase (AST) \> 2 × ULN;
2. Serum alanine transaminase (ALT) \> 2 × ULN;
3. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by simplified 4-variable MDRD formula \< 30 mL/min/1.73 m2;
4. Total white blood cell (WBC) count \< 2,500/µL;
5. Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \< 1,200/µL;
6. Platelet count \< 100,000/µL;
7. Absolute lymphocyte count \< 750/µL;
8. Hemoglobin \< 9 g/dL.
16. History of or current clinically significant medical conditions or any other reason that in the opinion of the Investigator would interfere with the subject's participation in this study, would place the subject at risk by participating in the study or would make the subject an unsuitable candidate to receive study drug, also with regard to the European Commission Decision as of 10 March 2023 on measures to minimize risk of serious side effects with Janus kinase inhibitors (EMA/142279/2023).
17. Withdrawal of the informed consent.
Where it's running
-
CHU de Nice
Nice, Alpes Maritimes, France Recruiting -
Aphp
Paris, France Recruiting -
CHU de Rouen
Rouen, France Recruiting -
CHU de Tours
Tours, France Recruiting -
Centre privé de Dermatologie
Reims, France Not yet recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Thierry Passeron, PhD — CHU de Nice, Hôpital Archet
- Study coordinator: Thierry Passeron, PhD
- Email: passeron.t@chu-nice.fr
- Phone: +33492034924
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Safety and drug level study of multiple doses of upadacitinib, tofacitinib, and baricitinib in healthy adults
This early-phase study tests how different doses of upadacitinib, tofacitinib, and baricitinib behave in healthy adults to understand safety and how the drugs act in the body.
-
Upadacitinib for Severe Alopecia Areata in Children
This study tests whether upadacitinib can safely help children with severe alopecia areata grow back hair, compared with placebo.
-
Upadacitinib for Eosinophilic Esophagitis in adults not responding to standard therapy
This study tests whether upadacitinib, taken with topical corticosteroids, can reduce disease activity in adults with eosinophilic esophagitis who still have symptoms.
-
Upadacitinib versus infliximab for second-line treatment of acute severe ulcerative colitis
This trial will see if upadacitinib or infliximab works better to induce remission in adults with acute severe ulcerative colitis who need second-line therapy.
-
Upadacitinib versus corticosteroids for first-line treatment of acute severe ulcerative colitis
This test will see if upadacitinib works as well as corticosteroids to induce remission in adults with acute severe ulcerative colitis.
-
TNFi plus low-dose upadacitinib versus TNFi dose intensification for Crohn's disease with suboptimal response
This trial tests whether adding low-dose upadacitinib to a standard TNF blocker helps adults with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease who haven't responded well to standard-dose infliximab or adalimumab, compared with increasing the TNFi dose.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.